Cincinnati Reds positional preview vs. NL Central: catcher

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CINCINNATI, OH – MAY 20: Willson Contreras #40 of the Chicago Cubs looks up for a foul ball behind the plate during a game against the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

1. Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs

Willson Contreras has steadily asserted himself as the best catcher in the National League Central. While his defense leaves a lot to the imagination, there’s no denying the offensive prowess that Contreras possesses in his bat.

Last season, Contreras hit .272/.355/.533 with 24 home runs and 64 RBIs. Contreras put up ands impressive .888 OPS and 125 OPS+ en route to his second consecutive All-Star selection. Contreras was fifth on the Chicago Cubs in both homers and RBIs, but led the club in slugging percentage.

Having a catcher with that kind of pop in the bat is a rarity. Contreras trailed just Yasmani Grandal (28) and J.T. Realmuto (25) in home runs last season and led all National League catchers who had over 300 at-bats with a .533 slugging percentage.

Chicago has a bit of a quandary on their hands, however, as Victor Caratini showed what he can bring to the table as well. Caratini slashed .266/.348/.447 in 95 games last season, 59 of which came behind the plate. It’ll be interesting to see how former Reds catcher and now Chicago Cubs manager David Ross handles the backstop position in Chicago.

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So there you have it. While the Cincinnati Reds may not have the best backstop in thee National League Central, the future appears bright if Tyler Stephenson develops as many scouts believe he can. Until then, the duo of Tucker Barnhart and Curt Casali are more than capable of holding down the fort until the Reds top catching prospect is ready for The Show.

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